The Blood of Toy Soldiers
by Supersaiyangirl
Summary: Sequel to ITTAH. Xander returns home after more then two years. But the welcome is less then he hoped for.
1. Chapter 1

The Blood of Toy Soldiers

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I don't own anything you recognise, and probably a lot you don't as well. *Sigh* :(**

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Chapter 1

Xander stared at the burnt out wreck that had been Sunnydale High School. _What the hell happened here?_ Xander thought as he turned and started walking towards Buffy's house. It was just over a year and a half since he had left Sunnydale to try and gain some control over the thirst that drove him to kill. He'd had limited success, he could now walk down a street and not instantly jump and kill anyone he came across, but the scent of freshly bled blood would still cause him to lose control. However he still needed to feed, but now he wasn't overwhelmed by almost constant bloodlust, he was able to direct his feedings to certain people. While he didn't feel any guilt when he killed, his strong sense of right and wrong made him only pick those people that have done evil, murderers, rapists and the like. He'd discovered early on that if someone lied to him he would hear the true answer to that question in his head seconds later. So when picking a victim, all Xander had to do was ask them one simple question: 'What's the worst you've ever done?' Then he would know if that person was an innocent or not and in extension whether they would die or not. As once he started to feed he could not stop until he'd had all the blood.

Xander reached Buffy's house, it was dark, as it was the very early hours of the morning. Mrs Summers would be asleep and Buffy most likely was on patrol. Xander was about to turn and head for one of the cemeteries, when he realised that he really should get to know Buffy's scent, and the best way to do that would be going to Buffy's bedroom. Xander headed to that back f the house, knowing that was were Buffy's window was and jumped onto the branch that was just outside of her window. He looked inside and frowned. The room was clearly not being used as Buffy's bedroom anymore. It had boxes stacked everywhere. Buffy didn't live here anymore and clearly hadn't for quite sometime.

Puzzled Xander dropped from the tree, Buffy had left home and with the High School gone Xander had no idea how to contact them. He could try Giles, but banging on the guy's door at this time of night would just lead to pointy objects and a lot of bloodloss. The thought of blood caused his throat to flare. Xander sighed, unnecessarily, he'd only feed yesterday. No thinking about blood! He admonished himself. Perhaps swing by one of the closest cemeteries, before he searched for somewhere to spend the day, he might get luck and met Buffy while he was there.

No such luck, but he did find a group of stupid vampires that didn't stop to notice that Xander didn't have a pulse before they tried to attack him. One even tried to bit him, before Xander pulled the vamps jaw clean out. Shortly after Xander finished killing off all of the fledgling in quick, brutal and bloody ways Xander was hit in the back with something and his body convulsed as electricity ran though him. He managed to get the wires out of his back but the burning in his throat rapidly grew as a result of his body healing from the electrical burns and quickly became more than he could stand against. There were four heartbeats nearby, Xander turned to the closest one and pounced, knocking his prey to the ground. He quickly bit down, savouring the sweet blood. Xander jerked as three more bolt hit him and sent almost 40,000 vaults though him. For the first time in over a year Xander lost consciousness, dropping onto the body of an soldier in full combat gear. From the surrounding shadows three more soldiers emerged. They cautiously approached the two downed figures. While two of them removed Xander from their fallen companion, the other reached for his radio.

"This is Lilac One, requesting pick up for one unknown HST." He looked over and saw the fallen soldier start to convulse. "Possible infection of Lilac Three."

"Copy that Lilac One, pick teams on the way." As soon as the radio went quite the soldier identified as Lilac Three started to scream.

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**This is just setting the scene next chapter will be longer.**

**Soldier call signs were made up by me.**

**Ooo, what's going to happen to Xander now!? You'll have to wait till I write more! *Evil laugh***

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

The Blood of Toy Soldiers

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**First off, all I know of twilight is from the films and fanfictions, so if I get anything wrong please forgive me.**

**Next, timeline changes. This is now very much an AU.**

**Riley is a bit OOC in is but there is a reason: Oz never left so Riley got to know him better therefore turned against the Initiative earlier, but currently still works for them undercover for the Scoobies.**

**Oz and Willow are together. This because with no Xander, there was no fluke, and their relationship stronger and survives Veruca because of this. **

**Tara meet them all when she moved to Sunnydale, in series three. **

**There will be no Anya. As no fluke, no wish, no human Anya.**

**Faith never went bad, but is now working with Angel in L.A. **

**Enjoy**

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Chapter 2

Under the university campus of Sunnydale there lay two figures, in separate rooms, both surrounded by man in white coats. One was heavily strapped down on a bed in the centre of the room and was unconscious, it wasn't know to the men surround him that if he woke up the straps wouldn't last a second. The other was also strapped down but he was thrashing against the restraints, and was screaming, but his screams were horse as though he'd been screaming for way too long. It has been fourteen hours since they had been brought into base and there had been no change in either men's condition.

Maggie Walsh turned from the monitors and asked the doctor behind her.

"So what have we learnt so far?" The man looked nervous under Walsh's intense gaze.

"Unfortunately not very much. We have been unable to acquire any blood samples, all needles and blades we tried broke before they penetrated Hostile 23's skin." He said.

"Incredible." Walsh said, already thinking about ways to use this in Project 314.

"Have you tried shooting him?" Agent Finn asked.

"Yes, but while the bullet did go though it's arm, when we went to take a sample it had healed already." Walsh frowned, that made it almost impossible to implant any sort of Behaviour Modifier, it also makes it impossible to use it in Project 314.

"What have you learnt?" She asked.

"There are a few similarities to the vampiric hostiles, enough to assume they are from the same genus as it were. But also some striking differences."

"How so?" Riley asked.

"Well for one it doesn't have a heartbeat, it hasn't taken a breath since it came in here, and it's body temperature is constantly below room temperature. It also appears to need blood, as it bit Agent Quinn who was considerably short of blood when he was brought in." Riley tensed when Quinn was mentioned, he didn't want to think about what was happening to the newest member of his team, he's good guy who didn't deserve this. If only I'd been fast enough, Riley thought to himself.

"And the differences?' Walsh asked. The doctor got excited, as if he'd just got a new toy to play with.

"We tested it with U.V light and it didn't burn!" That got both Walsh's and Riley's attention.

"What!?" The doctor just nodded happily.

"The skin just sparkled!" Well that makes identification easier, Riley thought. "Also crosses and holy water have no effect."

"How are we meant to kill it?" Riley muttered to himself, thinking that had to talk to Buffy about this, maybe she'd know something about it. Louder so they could hear he asked. "What about fire?" The doctor shook his head.

"We haven't tested that, but considering it's healing rate, it would have to be a very hot fire."

"Is there anything else? What about Agent Quinn's condition." Walsh asked, a new thought going though her mind what if they could make more of these, get them under control with more traditional means. The doctor smiled again, Riley squashed the impulse to hit the guy, this was Quinn's life they were talking about, and the guy didn't seem to care.

"I was just getting to that." He said. "We took a sample of it's saliva, but discovered that it wasn't saliva at all, but some kind of venom. At first we thought it was just to paralyse their victims. But when we did the blood works from Agent Quinn, we found the venom in his blood. It appears to be changing Agent Quinns physiology, in affect it is turning him into same creature as Hostile 23." Riley paled, it was only his training that stopped him from showing his inner turmoil. In an effort to save one of his team mates he'd condemned him to a fate worse then death. Riley looked at Professor Walsh and didn't like the calculating look on her face.

"Very well, take them both down the cells, and I want more samples of that venom taken." Walsh said, then she turned and walked away.

"What about Agent Quinn, ma'am?" Riley asked. Walsh turned had face hard.

"I don't know who you talking about, Agent. All I see is Hostile 23 and 24." She said and walked out the room. Riley wasn't that surprised by the attitude, to most in the Initiative Quinn ceased being human as soon as that venom entered his blood, but Riley knew better now, since he'd met Buffy and the others he knew that not all Subterrestrials were hostile. That Oz guy was a case in point, other then a few nights a month Oz was a decent guy. It looked like he'd have to talk to Buffy about this soon, before something bad happened.

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Xander's eyes opened, his hand went to his head, he had a splitting headache. What hell hit him? Someone was screaming nearby, Xander stood up and looked round for the source. It was then that he noticed where he was. He was in a small bare room, maybe eight foot square, with very bight lights. The far wall was made entirely of either glass or plastic, either way it wouldn't cause him any difficulty in getting out. Xander made his way to the glass wall. The source of the screaming was a man in the cell, for Xander was pretty sure that was what he was in, the man was withering in pain. Xander had a brief flash a time when he felt acid running though his veins, of pain that was more than he could cope with, but then it was gone. Xander took an experimental sniff, the place stank of demons and vampires. There had been humans here but judging by the faintness of the scent they had left a few hours ago.

Xander's throat burned in a way that told him he hadn't fed in a long time. If he waited any longer he wouldn't have any control over who he fed from once he got out of here. So he had to get out now. Xander hit the glass, and was surprised by the shock that shot though his arm. The glass was electrified, and it had been enough to take most of the power out of his strike, meaning there was barely a mark on the glass. In fact it was most likely to be plastic as glass should have shattered by the impact. Xander shook his hand and growled involuntarily. Xander struck out again putting his whole strength behind it. He recoiled from the strength of the shock that had gone up his arm, it made his arm burn, which in turn made his throat burn even more. Soon he'd lose all his control, and the worse thing was that the wall only had a hairline fracture. He could get out, but when he did he'd be no more than an animal. It would be a massacre, not that it bothered him that much, the part of him that knew it was bad, had been getting smaller over the last year, but a massacre wouldn't make Buffy and the others roll out the welcome home banner.

"Fuck!" He snarled and stalked back to the other end of the cell and sat down. One leg stretched out in front of him and other bent up with his arm resting on it. He leant his head back and closed his eyes trying to ignore the burning in his throat and the screams. It was times like this that he wished he could sleep.

There was a soft plop of something landing near him, and the scent of blood hit his senses. Xander's eyes snapped open and he looked at the source of the smell. It was a packet of blood, like you get in hospitals. Not thinking further then the word blood, Xander snatched the packet and drained it. It wasn't human, it was cold, old and had a strange taste to it, but it was blood and it made the burning lessen. Xander dropped the empty packet and closed his eyes again.

Ten minutes later Xander heard and smelt humans enter the cell block, he kept his eyes closed thinking that if he pretended to be asleep he might from out more about where he was.

"Hell, you'd think they'd knock him out, that screaming it nasty." One of the humans said.

"I think it's to do with knowing when it finishes or something." The other said in a bored tone. The footsteps stopped.

"Do you think it's out?" The first asked.

"Guess so, it drank the blood." The other said.

"Just keep that pointed at it while I take the sample."

"Sure thing." Then the door opened and Xander was up in a shot. He was out of the cell before the humans knew he'd moved. Xander knocked the soldier out of his way, the soldier was knocked out cold when his head hit the wall hard. But Xander didn't notice this as his teeth were already deep inside the other mans throat. Xander was already out the door by the time the alarms went off.

Xander ran, he didn't know where he was, and couldn't see any windows or anything that might be an exit. At least he was moving to fast for them to find him. Thankfully feeding off that made hard reduced the thirst enough that Xander wasn't going to kill everyone he came across, which was good, it meant he could focus on finding a way out. Suddenly he smelt it, it was too faint for human noses, but Xander picked it up fine, it was the scent of a sewer. Xander changed direction and headed towards the scent and freedom.

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**There it is the next chapter.**

**Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

The Blood of Toy Soldiers

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**This is really just a filler piece, and as such quite short.**

*Xander's ability*

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Chapter 3

Xander pulled himself out of the first manhole he got to, too find himself in a crypt, thankfully not an occupied one. He left the crypt, and was pleased to find it was night. No matter how effective the Sunnydale effect was he was sure it wouldn't cover a human sized diamond walking through town. Plus it would make it easier for those soldiers to find him. Xander started back towards town. Now more than ever he felt the need to see his friends and the only place he hadn't check, before his unscheduled stop at soldier central, was Giles's.

His throat flared reminding him that the scientist he'd eaten during his escape hadn't been enough to sate his thirst, he needed to hunt. Xander closed his bight red eyes briefly and sighed. With all the cool things he got from being what he was, the speed, strength, and near invulnerability, it was the thirst that constantly reminded him what he really was, a vampire and he hated it. But couldn't change it, so he managed the best he could. Xander changed directions and headed towards the Bronze, if he was going sate his thirst before going to see his friends, that would be the best place to find it in such a small town. It was going to be a difficult meeting without adding to it by being thirsty, that could end in disaster.

As he got near the club, his throat flared again, at the sound and scent of the clubbers. Another sound of a very different type came to his ears, the sounds of a struggle. Xander headed over to the alley the sounds were coming from and froze in surprise. Two man where man-handling a struggling girl down the alley. This in it's self was not an uncommon sight in Sunnydale, what was uncommon was that both men were human. Xander could hear the heartbeats of all three of them, they were singing to him. Xander mentally shook his head, he couldn't lose his head, otherwise he'd be as bad as all the other vampires in the world. Xander sighed unnecessarily, at the sign of the loss of his humanity, in that this was more of a deterrent than the actual killing. With unmatched speed Xander ran at the men and before either of them knew what was happening he snapped the neck of the one that was unbuckling his belt. Then he was pressing the other man, by his neck, against the wall. Xander turned his head towards the girl.

"Get out of here," he said, she didn't need anymore encouragement as she fled from the alley. Xander turned back to the man.

"Are you an innocent?" he asked, though at this point that was just a formality.

"What the fuck is your problem!?" the guy said as he tried, and failed, to get lose from Xander's grip. Xander growled a deep throated growl that yelled at the subconscious any animal that a predator was nearby. "I wasn't going to hurt her, come on man it was just a little fun!"

*He was* Xander grinned a predatory grin at the answer the voice in his head gave him. If a few years ago someone had told him that one day he would listen to and trust a voice in his head that wasn't his internal monologue, he would have said they were crazy. But that was what he did, the voice never lied.

"Have you done it before?" Xander asked him. The guy was terrified, but was hiding it by acting all cool.

"What're you sayig?" he said.

"Raped! Have you raped before?"

"Never," the man said sweating.

*At least a dozen times, in the last two years* This man was a rapist and fair game. In a flash Xander's teeth were in the man's neck and his thirst was being quenched. In seconds Xander was dropping the empty body, as he enjoyed the feeling of not feeling the burning.

Suddenly he felt something hit him in his back just where his heart was, it didn't hurt he just felt the impact. Xander turned to see a very familiar short blonde behind him, she was staring at him in shock a ruined stake in her hand.

"Xander?" she asked. Xander gave her his best grin.

"Hey, Buff, miss me?"

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**Seemed like a good place to stop.**

**Please review.**

**SSG**


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